From Brian Liskai, Mike Campbell Photo
ATTICA, OHIO – Mark Keegan is having a pretty darn good week. Last Saturday he was inducted into the Fremont Speedway Hall of Fame. Then on June 7, he celebrated his 52nd birthday. It’s also the 15th anniversary of his biggest win, when he passed Steve Kinser and took the Ohio Sprint Speedweek win at Attica in 1995. To cap off he week, he scored his 56th career feature win in a 410 sprint at Attica Raceway Park Friday on American Power Sports of Findlay Night.
Keegan, who has more feature wins at “Ohio’s Finest Racing” speed plant than any other driver – Byron Reed is second with 24 victories – showed his experience on the one-third mile oval, setting up Chris Andrews for the winning pass on lap 22. Keegan had hounded Andrews, the defending Attica track champion, from lap 8 on, racing right on his rear bumper. Then Keegan shot off the top of turn 2 on lap 22 and dove under Andrews in turn three for the lead.
“I kind of forgot how to get up here…but it doesn’t take long to remember,” joked Keegan in victory lane beside his Midwest Transportation backed #X. “It’s been awhile since I’ve been here. The trouble is there’s all these young kids that just mash on the gas and they’re fast. Tonight we had a little bit of luck. We didn’t have to start in the back of the heat and we didn’t have to run the B and we didn’t have to start in the back of the feature. This is a brand new JEI car and boy it’s pretty nice.”
“Dale (Blaney) was putting some pressure on me for second. Thank God for the caution. I was able to roll the wing back a little and it made the car better. I knew that I had to get past Chris (Andrews) because Dale was there. When the caution came out I saw Dale in the infield and I thought ‘boy this could be my night,’” added Keegan, who is from Fremont, Ohio.
In the Fremont Fence 305 Sprints, Fremont’s D.J. Foos passed Paige Polyak on lap 10 and cruised to his third Attica win of 2010.
“This is amazing…I don’t think I could have ever dreamed of this,” said Foos beside his Burger King, Level Performance, Buckshot Farms backed #11F. “Dad gives me a good race car every time and I just drive the wheels off the thing.
Tiffin’s Brian Arnold, fresh off his second place run last week in the Computer Man Dirt Trucks, battled with Alex Weichman door to door for two laps before getting under him for the lead on lap 5. The pair continued to battle side by side until Weichman spun on lap 11. Arnold then pulled away the remaining four laps for his first win of the season and eighth of his career.
“We’ve had a long dry spell, but it’s still fun. Last week we finally got some tires on her and its been good since,” said Arnold beside his Make-A-Wish Foundation, Air Cooled Engines, Burns Electric, Gingrich Automotive backed #33 truck.
At the drop of the green for the 30-lap 410 sprint feature, Scott Euler rocketed into the lead from his outside front row starting spot with Andrews, Jamie Miller and Keegan in tow. Miller would drive under both Andrews and Euler to grab the lead on lap three, with Andrews, Keegan, Dale Blaney challenging. Andrews would execute a slide job exiting turn four to take the lead on lap 7, with the caution then flying for David Harrison’s stalled car. On the restart Andrews could not shake Keegan as Miller and Blaney raced side by side for third. Phil Gressman would drive past Blaney into fourth on lap 9 while Keegan continued to race right on Andrews’ rear bumper for the lead.
Following a lap 10 caution for Todd Heller, Keegan resumed his pressure on Andrews with Blaney making it a three-car battle for the lead. Behind them Miller, Lee Jacobs, Gressman and Brock Mayes waged a tremendous war for fourth. Something went amiss on Blaney’s mount on lap 16 as he coasted to a rest, bringing out the caution. The running order was now Andrews, Keegan, Gressman, Jacobs, Miller, Byron Reed and Mayes. All eyes were glued on Bryan Sebetto, who jumped in the Robenalt #98 after the engine let go in his normal #16 ride in his heat, came from the tail of the B-main to finish third and had climbed from 19th starting spot in the A to 9th by lap 17.
On the ensuing restart, Andrews continued to race the bottom to middle of the track while Keegan remained tied to his rear bumper. Keegan was better on the top side of turns one and two used that to his advantage to set up the winning pass on lap 22 as the lead pack raced into lapped traffic. Andrews tried to recover in turns three and four, but spun while trying to pass a lapped machine and regain the lead. On the restart, it was all Keegan, as Gressman ran comfortably in second with Jacobs, Mayes and Reed battling for third. Behind that trio, Kevin Lee, Dean Jacobs and Sebetto would race hard, trading position nearly every lap.
When the checkered flew, Keegan had a five-car-length advantage over Gressman as Lee Jacobs, Reed and Mayes would round out the top five. Sebetto’s unbelievable run would net him a 7th place finish behind Kevin Lee.
It was another Kistler Racing Products Fremont Attica Sprint Title Championship race, which means Keegan and Gressman inched closer to point leader Reed.
Paige Polyak drove into the lead of the 25-lap 305 sprint feature with Foos blasting from his fifth place starting spot into second by lap 2. Polyak and Foos would race side by side over the next eight laps before Foos would drive under her for the lead exiting turn four on lap 10. Foos would pull away as Polyak and Brad Bowman battled for second while behind that duo Matt Merrill, Nate Dussel and Stuart Brubaker traded the fourth spot back and forth.
Foos caught the back of the field on lap 12, but they were racing three wide. The young driver used patience and followed them, allowing Polyak and Bowman to close. Once the traffic spread out, Foos began picking his way through and again built a sizeable lead while Polyak and Bowman continued to race side by side for second with Dussel closing in to make it a three-car battle.
The only caution would fly on lap 22 when Bowman, while battling for second, made contact with the front stretch wall, ending his night. On the restart and a clear track ahead, Foos pulled away for the win with Polyak, Dussel, Brubaker and 16th starter Zack Kramer rounding out the top five.
Brian Sorg would lead the first lap of the dirt truck feature with Alex Weichman, Arnold, Cory Ward and Dan Hennig in tow. Weichman would drive under Sorg for the lead a lap later, with Arnold grabbing second on lap three. Arnold would race side by side with Weichman over the next nine laps until Weichman stop on lap 11. With four laps remaining, the running order was Arnold, Ward, Hennig, Kent Brewer and Bob Dible. Arnold was able to pull away for the win with Ward, Hennig, Brewer and Dible rounding out the top five.
Attica Raceway Park will kick off the 27th Annual Ohio Sprint Speedweek on Friday, June 18th featuring the O’Reilly Auto Parts All Star Circuit of Champion Sprints. Gates will open at 4 p.m. with racing underway at 7:45 p.m.
For more information log onto www.atticaracewaypark.com
Attica Raceway Park – 6/11/2010
American Power Sports of Findlay Night
410 Sprints (33 Cars)
Heat 1 – Ultra Schield Race Products (8 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. 3J-Kevin Lee; 2. 53-Phil Gressman; 3. 28-Shawn Valenti; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild; 5. 47-Caleb Helms; 6. 91-Aaron Middaugh; 7. 26-Cody White; 8. 60-Jody Keegan; 9. 98-Bryan Sebetto
Heat 2 – Bell Racing (8 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. 2-Dale Blaney; 2. 15C-Chris Andrews; 3. 11B-Brock Mayes; 4. 14H-Todd Heller; 5. 9Z-Duane Zablocki; 6. 45-Brian Lay; 7. 11D-Bryce Dickson; 8. 312-Mike Linder
Heat 3 – Friendship Food Stores (8 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. 24H-Lee Jacobs; 2. 5R-Byron Reed; 3. 97-Dean Jacobs; 4. 9X-Rob Chaney; 5. 10-David Harrison; 6. 28K-Todd Kane; 7. 2+-Brian Smith; 8. 5T-Travis Philo
Heat 4 – Tin Lizzy Collision (8 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. X-Mark Keegan; 2. 5M-Jamie Miller; 3. 27-Scott Euler; 4. OM-Bill Morrison; 5. O-Brandon Wimmer; 6. 11M-Brandon Martin; 7. 20X-Craig Mintz; 8. 16-Bryan Sebetto
B-Main – Computer Man Inc. (10 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. 9Z-Duane Zablocki; 2. 10-David Harrison; 3. 98-Bryan Sebetto; 4. 45-Brian Lay; 5. 28K-Todd Kane; 6. 2+-Brian Smith; 7. 47-Caleb Helms; 8. 312-Mike Linder; 9. 60-Jody Keegan; 10. 91-Aaron Middaugh; 11. 26-Cody White; 12. 11D-Bryce Dickson
A-Main – (30 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. X-Mark Keegan[6]; 2. 53-Phil Gressman[8]; 3. 24H-Lee Jacobs[5]; 4. 5R-Byron Reed[9]; 5. 11B-Brock Mayes[11]; 6. 3J-Kevin Lee[3]; 7. 98-Bryan Sebetto[19]; 8. 97-Dean Jacobs[12]; 9. 9X-Rob Chaney[15]; 10. 15C-Chris Andrews[1]; 11. 45-Brian Lay[20]; 12. 9Z-Duane Zablocki[17]; 13. 5M-Jamie Miller[4]; 14. 28-Shawn Valenti[10]; 15. OM-Bill Morrison[16]; 16. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[13]; 17. 2-Dale Blaney[7]; 18. 14H-Todd Heller[14]; 19. 27-Scott Euler[2]; 20. 10-David Harrison[18]
Hard Charger: 98-Bryan Sebetto[+12]
Fremont Fence 305 Sprints (27 Cars)
Heat 1 – Ultra Schield Race Products (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 1-Nate Dussel; 2. 10S-Roger Shammo; 3. 27-Paige Polyak; 4. 10X-Dustin Stroup; 5. 14-Chad Wilson; 6. 8K-Zack Kramer; 7. 1W-Paul Weaver; 8. 72C-John Bartlome; 9. 83X-Nate Reeser
Heat 2 – Bell Racing (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 11F-D.J. Foos; 2. 39M-Matt Merrill; 3. 25-Jason Keckler; 4. 55-Benny Bowman; 5. 22D-Dan Hammond; 6. 5-Dustin Dinan; 7. 23-James Page; 8. 8J-Jess Stiger; 9. 77J-Jim Sipe
Heat 3 – Friendship Food Stores (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 35-Stuart Brubaker; 2. 51-Brad Bowman; 3. 40-Bobby Clark; 4. 94-John Ivy; 5. M28-Josh Muntz; 6. 19R-Steve Rando; 7. 67M-Matt Ferrell; 8. 71-Bill Kraylek; 9. 87-Ryan Hetrick
B-Main – Computer Man Inc. (10 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 8K-Zack Kramer; 2. 5-Dustin Dinan; 3. 67M-Matt Ferrell; 4. 1W-Paul Weaver; 5. 71-Bill Kraylek; 6. 23-James Page; 7. 83X-Nate Reeser; 8. 8J-Jess Stiger; 9. 87-Ryan Hetrick; 10. 72C-John Bartlome; 11. 77J-Jim Sipe; 12. 19R-Steve Rando
A-Main – (25 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 11F-D.J. Foos[5]; 2. 27-Paige Polyak[1]; 3. 1-Nate Dussel[8]; 4. 35-Stuart Brubaker[11]; 5. 8K-Zack Kramer[16]; 6. 94-John Ivy[12]; 7. 39M-Matt Merrill[2]; 8. 5-Dustin Dinan[17]; 9. M28-Josh Muntz[15]; 10. 40-Bobby Clark[10]; 11. 25-Jason Keckler[7]; 12. 10X-Dustin Stroup[6]; 13. 1W-Paul Weaver[19]; 14. 22D-Dan Hammond[14]; 15. 10S-Roger Shammo[4]; 16. 71-Bill Kraylek[20]; 17. 51-Brad Bowman[3]; 18. 67M-Matt Ferrell[18]; 19. 14-Chad Wilson[13]; 20. 55-Benny Bowman[9]
Hard Charger: 8K-Zack Kramer[+11]
Computer Man Inc. Dirt Trucks (19 Trucks)
Heat 1 – Ultra Schield Race Products (8 Laps)
1. 33-Brian Arnold; 2. O-Andy Keegan; 3. 32H-Dan Hennig; 4. 8-Steve Endicott; 5. 18W-Cory Ward; 6. P51-Paul Brown Jr.; 7. 36-Dana Fry; 8. 71-Craig Holland; 9. 9-Curt Inks; 10. 4S-Keith Sorg
Heat 2 – Bell Racing (8 Laps)
1. 8K-Kent Brewer; 2. 56-Alex Weichman; 3. 4X-Brian Sorg; 4. 13S-James Saam; 5. 84-Ron Kepling; 6. 17-Bob Dible; 7. O1-Art Ball; 8. 39-Dwight Waltermier; 9. O9-Jeff Wank
A-Main – (15 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 33-Brian Arnold[4]; 2. 18W-Cory Ward[5]; 3. 32H-Dan Hennig[8]; 4. 8K-Kent Brewer[6]; 5. 17-Bob Dible[9]; 6. 39-Dwight Waltermier[16]; 7. 84-Ron Kepling[1]; 8. 8-Steve Endicott[11]; 9. O-Andy Keegan[7]; 10. 36-Dana Fry[13]; 11. O9-Jeff Wank[18]; 12. 56-Alex Weichman[3]; 13. 4S-Keith Sorg[19]; 14. 4X-Brian Sorg[2]; 15. P51-Paul Brown Jr.[12]; 16. 13S-James Saam[10]; 17. 71-Craig Holland[15]
Hard Charger: 39-Dwight Waltermier[+10]